It’s difficult enough for individuals to ask for help. My decades in family medicine have also taught me how difficult it can be for fellow clinicians to find a reliable, experienced psychopharmacologist who can be a partner in treatment.
My pledge to you is to offer timely, skilled and resourceful consultation, a solid commitment to coordination and communication regarding diagnosis and treatment decisions, and steadfast support for your work in helping those who have entrusted themselves to you.
Collaborative Psychopharmacological Consultations
Although I practice psychopharmacology, I am not a traditionally trained psychiatrist. Rather, I have come to this speciality through extensive experience as a primary care physician and clinical psychologist who deeply understands how mental health affects the overall health and well being of my patients. Beyond my original medical and residency training, during my ten years of practice limited to psychopharmacology and psychotherapy I have had a close relationship with a training mentor, read extensively, and attended multiple psychiatric conferences continuously deepening my knowledge and experience in the field.
I bring to my patients and colleagues a deep understanding of mental health and illness and the variety of psychosocial issues that impact health adjustment, as well as a broad range of treatment options.
I am especially invested in serving as a consultant to primary care and specialty physicians who encounter patients whose lives are diminished because of psychiatric or adjustment disturbances.
All Questions Welcomed
From my experience as a practicing clinical psychologist and primary care physician, I am well aware of how much it helps to be able to turn to an attentive, knowledgeable resource who can help you to determine the best balance of medication and therapeutic treatment for a patient whose health is adversely affected by mental health challenges.
You have a patient who is depressed. What medicine should you prescribe? Maybe you think she’s depressed, but you’re not certain. How do you determine if she actually is depressed? Perhaps she’s taking a lot of medications, but you need a consult to sort out the mix. What should you do first that won’t harm her? What else do you need to know?
These are just a few of the types of questions that I welcome for a collaborative consultation. We will compare our observations and clinical assessments, contextualize symptoms within a broader perspective of the patient’s life issues, and together analyze and determine the treatment modality with the greatest likelihood for a successful outcome.
I am available for one-time or ongoing consultations, as well as being a resource for treatment or referral. I consider all those I serve to be honored guests who deserve attentive listening and respectful, shared problem solving. And, yes, I will return your phone calls.